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Which was the very last thing we needed. The echoes of its unprotected nature from a year ago were still washing through the outer reaches of the supernatural world, tantalizing all sorts of evil with the promise of unrestrained power. We didn’t need fresh waves happening.
“How long does he think we have before that happens?” I asked.
“Maybe two or three days.”
I glanced at Ashworth. “Is the trial likely to be over that quickly?”
“It would depend on what the council’s aims are.” He grimaced. “I suspect privately they want to see him squirm but publicly need to send a warning to all witch families still involved in the practice.”
“Hard to send a public message when the trial is happening in a closed court.”
He smiled. “They will still get the message. The council closed the court in order to not piss off your father too much. They do have to work with him in the future, remember.”
“I take it that means you don’t think he’ll face any real consequences for his actions?”
“Many would say public humiliation and a slap on the wrist is more than enough punishment for a man like your father,” Eli commented.
“And it will achieve what the council needs, without putting your father too offside,” Ashworth said. “Those with less power and pull will know the consequences for them would be far worse.”
Which was exactly what Anthony had said, though he continued to believe the punishment would be stronger. I wished I’d asked what that might be, because I doubted any of them had the courage to enforce prison time.
“I guess if it ends the practice of marrying off underage kids, then all the hassle will be worth it.” Even if every angry part of me still wanted my father to fully pay for all the trauma he’d put me through. “That’s presuming, of course, the wellspring situation doesn’t throw a spanner in the works and force me to leave.”
“You could fly down overnight if the escalation does become noticeable,” Eli said. “Perhaps if you entered the wellspring and ‘communed’ with the magic, it might act more reasonably.”
“It’s hard to believe we’re talking about a natural force from deep within the earth,” Belle commented, “and not a toddler throwing a tantrum,”
“And yet, in some respects, that’s precisely what we might be dealing with,” Eli said. “Especially if the purpose of the Fenna wasn’t only to protect and channel, but also, over the course of their lifetime, provide the means and the knowledge to enable self-protection.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Is there anything in the book to back this theory?”
That book being Earth Magic: Its Uses and Dangers. Monty had found it in the Canberra archives, and it was basically a very early account of witches, including how they dealt with earth magic—the original name for wild magic. None of us were really sure how this book had managed to survive the many often-brutal centuries since it was written or why so much of the knowledge within it had been forgotten.
Eli hesitated. “I’ve got a lot of the book yet to read, but I did run a check on a couple of wellsprings mentioned, and rather interestingly, they’re listed as unviable.”
“How can a wellspring be unviable?” Belle asked. “They’re either active, or they’re gone. There’s no middle ground.”
Eli shrugged. “It could simply mean that those wellsprings are unable to be used.”
“But they do still exist?” I asked.
“The two I checked did.”
“Interesting.” I drank a bit more coffee. “Perhaps it’s not so much the wellspring gaining enough awareness to self-protect, but rather, the soul of the Fenna fusing with the wellspring on death. Remember, it was the references Gabe found to the Fenna that enabled him to fuse Katie’s soul to the second wellspring, and she can control and protect it.”
“But his magic is the reason no one knows it exists,” Ashworth said. “It diverts anyone who tries to find it.”
And he’d know, having done just that. “Because she’s not a witch, so was naturally behind the eight ball when it came to getting a handle on things. That might well change in the future.” I sighed and rubbed my face. Worrying about things beyond my control was starting to give me a headache. “Is there any chocolate in this house? I’m feeling the need.”
Eli smiled. “Chocolate replaces alcohol when Hattie’s home alone, so I’m sure there’s plenty to be found in the pantry.”
“I knew we were kindred spirits.” I pushed to my feet and walked over. Like everything else in this house, the pantry was massive and probably bigger than the café’s entire kitchen. Thankfully, there wasn’t only a vast selection of chocolate blocks, but also a variety of bars and multiple packets of Minties and Fantales.
If things went ass-up at the trial today, I’d probably need them all.
I dug out a Black Forest block and happily retreated. “Has Monty said anything to Aiden?”
“Aiden’s aware of the situation. I’m not sure about the pack, though.”
